That recent academic research finding that strong internal reporting correlates to better business outcomes is welcome news for corporate compliance professionals, with all sorts of implications for how to run a compliance program smartly.

To gauge the civility of an organization’s culture, adequate policies and training are not enough. The behavior and accountability of top leadership play a key role. You can’t delegate ethics. And it seems the “Weinstein Clause” indicates that boards are finally beginning to understand that.

Organizations should be applauded for their improvements in board compliance training. But they need to keep working, to channel their increased focus on board awareness and to make sure that their directors are getting the right training to truly lead their organizations.

The recent media attention on sexual harassment in the workplace, arising from #MeToo and the publicity surrounding allegations of wrongdoing by powerful celebrities and executives, has resulted in a quantum boost for awareness of the issues.

The ethical standards of a company are driven from the top. The ethics policy should be recommended by the president, ratified by the board and rolled out to the company with appropriate explanations and training. Implementing and consistently following a top-down ethics policy—with input from all levels—will help employees, customers, stakeholders and others who interact with the company to understand and relate to the company’s intentions.